Collapse at Paris Airport Kills 5

The vaulted roof of the new, showcase terminal at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport -- touted as a jewel of design, safety and comfort -- collapsed early Sunday, killing at least five people and forcing authorities to revisit problems that preceded the fanfare opening of Terminal 2E less than a year ago.

Tons of concrete, steel and glass came crashing down on a waiting area inside the gleaming terminal. The 98-foot section of roof fell just before 7 a.m. as passengers were starting to arrive.

Officials said there was no sign that a terrorist attack had caused the collapse. Of those confirmed dead, one was Chinese and the other four also were apparently foreigners, said Michel Clerel, chief doctor of Aeroports de Paris, which runs the airport.

Rescue workers sent dogs to sniff for victims buried under the pile of twisted steel, boulders of concrete and shattered glass. Officials said that a sixth person might have been killed, and that the victims were probably passengers.

The chief doctor also said three people were injured -- all of them police officers called to the scene when signs of trouble appeared.

“Witnesses heard a cracking and noticed cracks in the ceiling and saw dust falling,” said Pierre Graff, president of Aeroports de Paris. “They, of course, ran away. Police arrived and began evacuating people.”

Within about two to three minutes, the roof collapsed, said Rene Brun, director of Charles de Gaulle.

The futuristic, cylindrical terminal sits on pylons, and when the roof fell it pulled down outer walls and crashed through a boarding ramp onto several parked cars below.

President Jacques Chirac asked that investigators quickly determine the cause of the collapse. Two separate investigations were being opened.

The disaster comes as France braces for the influx of summer tourists.

The $890-million terminal, with slots for 17 aircraft, opened to the public last June after at least two construction delays.

The French television station LCI said the delays were caused by safety issues.